A/N: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in a Nutshell. At least for the first few chapters that is. Nothing really belongs to me, as this is only a fanfiction. Everything belongs to JKR. Enjoy-CCG
Prologue
They had always feared that this day would come. They had only hoped that it
hadn't come so soon.
It was a seemingly quiet Halloween night at Godric's Hollow, and James and
Lily's presence graced the living room. James watched his wife as she paced
the floor, lightly rubbing their son's back, and a soft, loving smile appeared
on the face of the dark haired man, his hazel eyes shining. Lifting himself
off the couch, James made his way over to Lily and Harry.
"He's as stubborn as you are," James commented.
Lily scoffed. "No, he just enjoys being as difficult as you."
"So you could say he takes after both of us."
"More after you James, my poor baby; just look at your hair!" Lily said,
placing a kiss to Harry's head.
"Well, he came this close to having slimy hair." James said with a bitter
undertone.
"You know I love you James."
"You didn't marry me outta spite?" He questioned. He didn't know why he was
feeling so insecure; why he felt the need to confirm that Lily truly did love
him.
"I took your date out of spite and interest." She paused. "But I married you
for love."
James smiled and kissed her softly. The kiss was cut short by a disgruntled
cry. The couple broke apart to stare at their son who looked ready to pitch a
fit.
"What's the matter little man; you don't want me to kiss your mum?" What
happened next scared Lily, Harry screamed as tears cascaded down his cheeks.
"Harry! What's wrong?" Lily asked, knowing he couldn't reply. She had never
heard him cry like this.
A chill ran down James' spine; he walked over towards the window and pulled
back the curtain slightly. Though it was dark, the moon shined brightly on the
symbol of fear. "Lily! Run, take Harry, it's him!"
Fear froze the red haired woman, her emerald eyes expressing her hopelessness.
Once he had come for her, once for her husband, and once they and a few others
had triumphed over him. They had foiled one of his biggest raids.
But tonight was not about that. She knew why he had come tonight. Tears
pricked her eyes as she realized how he had discovered them. What started off
as a brilliant plan burned to ashes, her son's life was now in danger. Lily
felt a strong tug on her arm. "Lily, go! Hide! Now!"
"James," She managed through sobs. "I love you."
"I love you too. We'll be together again, I promise!"
Lily took to the stairs and hurried into her son's room in search of the
Potter's family heirloom. It was hard to search, her vision blurred from her
crying. Harry, who had been silent after James' announcement, began to cry
again.
Lily feared she knew why.
She could look no further as her heart broke. Lily walked over and placed
Harry in his crib, drying his tears before drying her own. His bedroom door
blew open, and Harry's cries became snivels and hiccups.
"Please," Lily cried. "Take me instead!"
"The time for that is over. No, stand aside girl."
"Please, not Harry! Take me instead! Take me!" She shouted.
"Stand aside!" The black cloaked man pulled out a well polished wooden stick
and aimed it at the begging mother.
"Please-"
"Avada Kedavra."
Chapter One
The Boy Who Survived
It's not every day one sees a cat reading a map, a flock of owls in daylight,
and strangely cloaked persons in robes. For any other 'normal' person these
strange sightings would have been quite a sight. But for Vernon Dursley, they
were not. He had his suspicions as to where the strange hordes of freakiness
had emerged from. Vernon hurried to his career building, stopping to buy
coffee on the way. A group of people in robes stood around the café,
chattering in hushed whispers, but Vernon caught bits and pieces of their
conversations.
"Harry Potter…"
"Only known survivor…"
"We must celebrate…"
Vernon squeezed his beefy hand into a fist as he hurried to retrieve his drink
and rush back to his car. Thankfully, the rest of the day went by with no
other freaky incidents.
In Vernon's minds he had the perfect life: a perfect, normal wife, a perfect,
normal son and a perfect, normal job. [You can change it back to "great job"
and "perfect, normal, and handsome son, if you'd like. However, the pattern of
three is common in writing, and I personally feel it flows better.] He made
his way to his doorstep of his home at number four Privet Drive, and as he
reached the door he noticed the map reading cat he saw this morning. Ha, a cat
reading a map...the thought was preposterous. He entered his home and walked
to the kitchen where he knew his wife would be.
"Ah, Petunia...have you noticed anything weird today?"
"No," Petunia replied slowly. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason." Vernon said and stared at his wife as she returned to preparing
dinner. "Your sister…she has a son about Dudders age, doesn't she?"
"Yes." His wife replied lowly. Talk about the former Evans sister was never a
welcome topic in the Dursley's home.
"Harold Porter, yeah?"
"Harry Potter." She corrected. "Vernon, what is this about?"
"Nothing, dear, nothing at all."
For the rest of the evening Vernon did not mention anything abnormal, or
anything about the Potter side of Petunia's family. They were far away for all
of that nonsense.
~~~~~~
A tabby black and gray cat stretched on the lawn of number four Privet Drive
and watched with knowing eyes as the streetlights went out. An old man with
long white hair, a long white beard, and icy blue eyes hidden behind crescent
moon glasses made his way over to an older woman who now stood in the place of
the tabby cat.
"Good evening Minerva." The man said.
"Good evening Albus." Minerva replied. "Tell me, are the rumors true, Albus?"
"Yes, I'm afraid they are."
"And what of the boy?" She asked.
"Hagrid is bringing him."
"Do you think it is wise, trusting him with something as important as this?"
"I trust him with my life, Minerva."
The rumbling sounds of a motorcycle could be heard; not from the road, but
from the sky. The motorcycle landed and came to a skidding halt in front of
the two abnormal looking adults. A tall gruff man with long black hair and
bearded face nodded at them. "Good evening, Professors."
"Good evening, Hagrid. I trust everything went well?" Albus asked.
"After some convincing, yeah." Hagrid answered. The oversized man removed
himself from the flying motorbike, a blanket bundle pressed against his large
chest. It took only one hand to remove and hand the child over to the other
man.
"This isn't right Albus, leaving him with these people. I've watched them all
day, the worst sort of muggles imaginable. Lily and James would-"
"Lily and James would want their son protected at all costs." Albus
interrupted.
Hagrid began to sob. "There, there, Hagrid. This isn't goodbye, after all."
"Albus, I beg you, we shouldn't leave him here! There won't be a child in our
world that doesn't know his name!"
"He should be kept away from all of that, until he is ready." Albus placed the
bundle on top the doorstep of number four Privet Drive and laid a letter
inside the bundle, addressed to Petunia Dursley.
"Good Luck, Harry Potter."